自己紹介

Yuji Matsumoto
Master Sake Sommelier
Finalist of the 2nd World Sake Sommelier Competition. Graduated from Keio University Faculty of Law, Department of Political Science. Worked for Nomura Securities for 10 years. Former president of California Sushi Academy Former chief of planning dept. at Mutual Trading. Currently working for Kabuki Restaurant Corp. as a Beverage Manager of Sake.
Kosuke Kuji
Fifth Generation / Brewery Owner
Nanbu Bijin, Inc.
Born May 11, 1972. Entered Tokyo University of Agriculture’s Department of Brewing and Fermentation. In 2005 became the youngest person ever to receive the Iwate Prefecture Young Distinguished Technician Award. In 2006 was selected to be a member of the board of trustees of his local alma mater, Fukuoka High School. Currently is featured in a number of media outlets including magazines, radio, and television.
*Positions of Public Service: Chairperson, Cassiopeia Corporation Youth Conference; School Board Member, Fukuoka High School, Iwate Prefecture, Vice-Chairman, Technology Committee, Iwate Prefecture Brewers and Distillers’ Association.

カレンダー

22802278082018

<

2018.8

>

日

月

火

水

木

金

土

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

最新コメント

ハッシュタグ

ヒストリー

In the Mission District of San Francisco, which is known as the base of cutting-edge food and beverages, start-up entrepreneurs and invested money of Silicon Valley always link together, and new restaurants and cafes have been opening one after another. This is also the place where much-talked-about food and beverages such as the third wave of coffee, the third wave of chocolate, and Tartine Bakery started. One day, this May, the “Stonemill Matcha” cafe opened for the first time ever in the world by a Japanese entrepreneur.

This café is the succession of a restaurant bar, “Bar Tartine”, which was the second establishment of “Tartine”, the very popular bakery in SF. Ever since its opening was announced, this cafe has attracted a great deal of attention from the food and drink industry. Many people had huge expectations due to the brand-image left from the former popular place. However, its opening reception day turned out to be the day everybody had to admit its excellent quality which was beyond expectations. In the past year, matcha serving cafes have become a big hit in San Francisco. But, most of those cafes specialize in sweets such as ice cream. On the other hand, a store that specializes in serving infused matcha called “Samovar Tea Bar” which opened 3 years ago in the same Mission District, has also become hugely popular. Yet, the Japanese tea has only been a small part of the tea culture scene along with other teas such as Chinese tea and Western tea. “Stonemill Matcha”, however, is a matcha specialty store by Japanese.

Mr. Eijiro Tsukada, Founder/CEO of “Stonemill Matcha Inc.” is the mastermind behind it. He mastered in the study of tea in Kyoto, studied international businesses in both Japan and the US, and then founded this company. He said about its opening: “I aimed for an ultimate matcha business that no one in this world has accomplished yet.” A matcha business, which can be called the compilation of such idea, opened stately in the Mission District, invested by multiple corporations including Japanese companies. “Matcha has been recognized in the US, but mainly in the form of soft serve ice cream, etc., and people might have thought that it would be difficult to infuse and serve properly at home. I am hoping that this café will be the trigger for Americans to know more variations of matcha, and enjoy it easily at home,” Mr. Tsukada said. He also said that he wants to keep informing the nutrients and health benefits of matcha intently. Looking at the attractive and unique menus makes you want to try everything on them.

The spacious interior space, where tradition and modernism unite, is decorated with Japanese old house–themed decorations throughout, which provide warm tones using high quality wooden materials, and bring out a classy and relaxing ambience. The ceramic dishes used are hand-made originals by a local artist, and are effective in providing stylish tea time experiences. In the back, a real stone mill, symbolic to “Stonemill Matcha”, is displayed, and represents the deep Japanese food culture.

The tea menu includes only the Japanese tea using tea leaves from Kyoto’s tea farmers/producers. The menu consists of a wide variety of tea. Besides matcha, it includes sencha, hoji-cha, etc. The most popular drinks are Matcha Latte ($5), Ginger Matcha Latte ($5.50), and Cold Brew ($4.50). You can have latte drinks either hot or cold. There is even a unique drink called “Matcha Spritzer”, in which matcha and carbonated water are mixed together. You can also get advice from knowledgeable staff members as to how to infuse Japanese tea correctly, and the installed cutting-edge tea infusion machine produces tea with the best possible temperature and in the best possible steamed state for serving. The desserts and light meals menus are also richly varied, and contain pastries, cream puffs, and Japan-quality original cakes that are made by a collaboration with Tartine. Among them, matcha croissants and roll cakes are especially popular. On the light meals menu, there are cutlet sandwiches ($14), chicken okayu (rice gruel) ($13), matcha chazuke ($16), etc., and the cutlet sandwiches seem to have captured the American appetite particularly among them.

Knowledge and spirit of matcha have been thrown in throughout this place, in the menus, the way the place has been constructed, and even in the services. There is also even an authentic tea ceremony room, where they plan to have regular workshops and tea ceremonies in the future. Mr. Tsukada expressed his desire passionately to spread this business model from San Francisco to all over the US. “Stonemill Matcha” is already well supported by the Mission District foodies, and branding has been successfull. The “Matcha life” looks very much likely to permeate into their lifestyle soon.

ワオ！と言っているユーザー

The SOMA District, located in the south of San Francisco’s financial district, has been having a construction rush in the past 10 years, and high-rise buildings are being built one after another. Most of the new tenants of those new buildings are IT or finance-related business people. Especially growing lately are IT related startup businesses. During the lunch hours, the district is filled with those IT people who go have lunch, and in the evening, a younger generation of IT engineers with their laptops in their backpacks start to flow out toward the nearby train stations. On 2nd Street which is the center point of those stations, many eateries that mainly sell quick to-go lunch items stand. The key phrase is “Time saver”. Some newer places are even using high technologies fully to achieve no-man cafes. Among those, there is one gaining popularity with its high-end poppy-designed sushi donburis to attract young people. It is “The Grubbies”.

When I was walking down the street of business offices, a very noticeable and stylish sign that says “Tsukiji no Donburimono” in Japanese caught my eyes, and I stopped in front of it. Americans probably don’t know what the sign says. Under the Japanese words, it says “The Grubbies” in small letters, which appears to be the name of the restaurant. Its nostalgic, yet poppy appearance was appealing to me, and I peeked inside. There were no tables, but a small counter space in a pathway where even one person can barely walk through. It is so small that maximum of 4 people can barely fit. Everyone who bought bento there comes out carrying a stylish furoshiki wrapping. This is a brand-new style to-go sushi bento specialty store. The menu items with photographs are shown under the sign. The quality and the price are like those of a high-end sushi restaurant. The signature bento “Chef’s Choice” (9 to 10 kinds of sashimi slices + sushi rice, miso soup, and seaweed) is $35, Uni donburi ($40～), Mini hotate donburi with scallops and salmon eggs from Hokkaido ($23), Toro donburi ($28), etc., are far from ordinary bento level. I asked what kind of people would buy those. They said that they make a daily limit of 50 meals, which sell out every day. Surprisingly, I heard that the most of them are sold during lunch hours. I assume that the aimed customers are IT people, and if so, it is understandable that the Tsukiji brand sushi donburi can be so popular, and those high prices acceptable.

The IT bubbling trend in Silicon Valley is directly attacking San Francisco. Ever-growing IT-related businesses in the Financial District are making maximum efforts in lunch services in order to motivate employees, and for better work efficiency. In the early stage of the startup businesses, the companies would give to a small number then, and unexpendable employees extra money for lunch and/or dinner, and when the number of employees grow to be more than 100, or even 200, many of those companies will start facilitating them with a nice cafeteria, or offer catering service for lunch and snack times. For the IT industry, which requires speedy growth, saving time for lunch is a must, and a good menu is a necessary tool to satisfy employees.

Who triggered this business is also a startup team of people of the young generation. They created a platform from where people can easily order sushi through an application, and pick it up quickly. Moreover, they use poppy illustrations and high-end images for the place to attract IT people. Additionally, there is an advantage as for the business structure. Because of the nature of its cuisine style, which is raw, and not cooked with fire, it does not require a big kitchen space to function, and relatively easy to apply as a restaurant space. What’s more important is where to get fish from, and how to get staff who can handle fish. They get fresh fish daily from Tsukiji and local markets alternately. In the day time, they also cater to business offices.

Well, how about the value? Unwrapping the fancy furoshiki reveals a pack of the main sashimi selection, colorfully and nicely laid out in a thin square wooden box.

In addition, a set with sushi rice, miso soup, and nori appears. It looks beautiful and gets you excited. However, the sashimi pieces are on vegetables, so you need to move them onto rice to make a donburi. In the process, you end up rearranging the nicely presented sashimi, and the box of rice is too small to put the entire fish on. You could move them to a third container of yourself (which is big enough), but if you do, it would eliminate its goodness and convenience as a to-go meal. After all, it was not a chirashi donburi I was imagining, and I had to alternately eat sashimi and rice separately. The quality of sashimi was good, but the vegetable underneath was hard and not easy to chew. Personally, I think it is better if the food was served in the form of a pre-arranged bowl.

Most of the regular customers of this place have downloaded the lunch to-go application on their smartphones. Pre-ordering lets them achieve time saving, and proceed with work smoothly. The concept which “The Grubbies” team aimed, and realized, “a new sushi business that nobody has done before, and lunch that is high quality, and no waiting time to acquire”, is very effective in the IT industry. They have become a poppy sushi lunch icon of the SOMA District.

ワオ！と言っているユーザー

Hayes Valley, which is known as the place where a gourmet culture started, is also a highly competitive place for the restaurant business. During the recent real estate development, many new condominiums and business buildings have been built, and the area is becoming even more desirable. Many foodies who want to eat out live there, and also some culture/art facilities for performing arts such as symphony orchestra concerts, ballet, Jazz performances, art museums, etc. are in the nearby areas. Restaurants in the area, therefore, need to accommodate to a wide variety of preferences as well. There is only one real authentic sushi restaurant in the area, and that is “Tsubasa”. They have gained many excellent reviews through word of mouth on social media, and have been given a Bib Gourmand rating by the Michelin Guide. They are supported by local sushi lovers for their high-quality a-la-carte, and omakase menus, and the approachability.

The owner, Irene Ouyang, is a Chinese American. She has been a fan of Japanese cuisine for a long time, and was motivated to start and run a Japanese restaurant called “Sushi House” 20 years ago. She later opened “Naked Fish Sushi Grill & Wine Restaurant”, which attracted a younger generation of sushi fans, taking advantage of the pop culture-like sushi boom of that time. Its innovative style, in which a drink bar and sushi are combined, has been copied by many restaurants since, and has become one of the standard styles. Then, 3 years ago, she opened “Tsubasa” on a busy street of Hayes Valley where people are always keeping their eyes on restaurants.

Last summer, the restaurant welcomed Peter Pae as the executive chef, and refreshed the menu. Mr. Pae is a non-Japanese sushi chef, who has 20-years of experience in cooking at Japanese restaurants. He learned the basics of sushi and sushi making techniques from Osamu, the owner of “Sushi Sam”, a popular restaurant which has been leading the sushi boom in San Mateo. He is also carrying over his craftsmanship. He says, “The most important thing about sushi is freshness, and enjoyment of dining is enhanced by having seasonal ingredients.” It is so obvious that such a philosophy is reflected on the menu. He is very particular about the fish he buys, and 90% of it comes directly from Tsukiji and Fukuoka. A wide variety of ingredients and freshness are their selling points.

The menu contains a wide-variety of dishes which include a-la-carte dishes, traditional nigiri sushi, sushi rolls, the original “Fusion Roll”, and options of temaki (hand rolls). The signature items are the “Chef’s Choice”, and “Tsubasa Daily”, for which nearly 30 different kinds of seasonal freshly caught ingredients are described daily. Evening time is mostly filled by reservations, but some walk-ins are accepted on some nights. For lunch time, there are items for quick-eats such as chirashi sushi and negitoro donburi, but they have recently added omakase style dishes on the lunch menu, which are welcomed for business lunches and “Tsubasa” fans. This time, I tried a course meal, and some dishes from the regular menu items. The appetizer, local oysters, were flavored in a Japanese way, and colorfully arranged with momiji oroshi (tinted grated daikon) and green onions, and boosted my appetite. Nicely tender and sweet ankimo (monkfish liver) ($11/each) and Nasu-no Nibitashi (cooked eggplant dish) went very well with Junmai sake. Chawan-mushi (steamed egg custard), a popular dish ($9〜$14) had a slight fragrance of sakura-ebi (tiny dried shrimp), and the fluffy custard made with tasty dashi was bringing out the goodness of rich and creamy uni (sea urchin) from Hokkaido. The main dish, “Special Sashimi” ($80) was colorful, and presented like an art for the decoration of your table. You can easily imagine the freshness of the ingredients by just looking at them, and the skillfully cut pieces and tasteful presentation showcase the craftsmanship well. Well-thought colorful arrangement of that day consisted of fish from Japan, shimaaji, hotate (scallop), inada, kinmedai, kamasu, hotaruika (tiny squids), muki-hotate, etc., and sakura-masu (trout) was decorated and favored with cherry leaves. The nigiri plate looked high class and gorgeous with gold dusted o-toro and zuwai-gani (crab) served with kani-moso (crab brain), which give you the ultimate pleasure of sushi tasting. The menu contains a wide selection of ingredients from standard fish to rare fish from Japan’s nearby seas, which you rarely see at other restaurants, hence can accommodate all sushi eaters from beginners to experts. You can imagine how prominent this place is from serving hon-maguro, because it is supplied to only a limited number of Japanese restaurants.

The restaurant is medium size, having a total of 50 seats. On the left after entering, you see the sushi chef counter, and bar tables, which were filled with many single customers. As for the alcoholic drink selection, Japanese sake brands dominate it. They are sorted by dryness, crispness, and smoothness. Next is wine, beer, and craft beers. Here, the sushi dining that should start with a drink, which Ouyang believes in, matches the eat-out culture spirit of Hayes Valley, and is collecting a lot of sushi fans every day.

ワオ！と言っているユーザー

It has been 7 or 8 years since izakaya-style restaurants started to permeate the San Francisco area. Now, they are surely settled in American society, and have become a part of San Francisco’s gourmet culture. However, in the US, the concept of izakaya is more diverse, “having everything from sushi to a-la-carte dishes” to a “high-end kappo style menu”. “Izakaya” traditionally means a “house” for drinking sake, and is a low-key restaurant where small dishes to pair with sake drinks are served. In this US market, however, people probably perceive izakaya as “a Japanese tapas restaurant”, or “a Japanese style bar”.

Regardless of the original meaning, the name “izakaya” is evolving, and becoming a brand, and progressing towards a more high-end eatery.

”Izakaya Hashibiro Kou” which opened in late 2012, is a modern Japanese restaurant in the new age, which has those two elements. Ever since it opened, this place has been maintaining a 4-star ranking in “Yelp” under the Japanese restaurant category. The name means the stork. It is located near San Francisco Japan Town across Geary Street. You cannot say that it is an ideal location, but lately, even a Michelin-starred restaurant, which was built in a large space with a sophisticatedly renovated interior appeared in the area. Due to such changes in the scenery, the area started to attract gourmet eaters. This restaurant is one of such indispensable Japanese restaurants in the city, which has 70 seats and a bar.

Chef Jay Young is from Korea. He was born and raised in Korea. He graduated from a famous culinary school in Korea, majoring in Japanese cuisine. After graduating, Mr. Young worked as a chef in the Japanese restaurants in the Hilton Hotel Seoul, and the Sofitel Ambassador Seoul. In 2012, he was promoted to becoming the opening chef of “Izakaya Kou”, and moved to San Francisco.

His first impression of San Francisco was that it was a very gourmet food-loving society, and open. He said that he learned the joy of food culture in a diverse cultured society. His harmonized polished international food sense and Japanese cuisine are flourishing in this place. His creative high-end dishes, which are beyond Japanese boundaries, and familiar and traditional izakaya menu items offer a very unique combination. The number of menu items which include a-la-carte dishes, sushi, rolls, yakitori, teppan-yaki, donburis, soba, and ramen, is overwelming. Surprisingly, you can even order a chef’s omakase course as a special menu item.

The exterior of the restaurant does not really stand out, but the inside looks very spacious. The tables are laid out with a lot of room in between, and there is a Japanese fire-place room, a tatami room (with a hori-gotatu), and a private room that accommodates up to 8 people. Japanese calligraphy art hung by the entrance that fills up the right side wall, creates a Japanese ambience for the restaurant. There is a small table facing the street, one facing the big kitchen, and one in the private room, etc., and each table creates a different ambience depending on the location. The restaurant can easily accommodate a large group of people, too. The lights are dimmed, and the simple wood-themed interior decorations provide the feel of an old-fashoned private Japanese house.

As far as the menu goes, it looks like a list of rather ordinary a-la-carte dishes, sushi, grilled items, etc. However, each dish is cooked and presented so well that you are convinced of the facts of the chef’s graduation from a famous culinary school, and experiences of working in high-end hotels. For instance, “Gindara Misozuke” ($11) is a dish with a fluffily cooked marinated cod, served on a wooden log plate. The chili sauce, and the daikon garnish is also presented very artfully. In “Hamachi Carpaccio” ($8), a fresh Hamachi is served with crispy cucumber, and accentuated with olive oil, vinegar, chili, mint dressing and herbs. The ingredients for the salads contain organic vegetables from the farmers’ market only. The sophisticated presentations surely heighten the dining spirits.

There is a bar area in addition to the open kitchen. The selection of alcoholic drinks, which is the key to an izakaya, is vast, and contains more than 80 kinds including Japanese sake, shochu, chu-high, beers, and wines. They say that when the bar is full, the meals get promoted. In this restaurant, there is a good balance of demands and provisions as an izakaya. The happy hour is between opening and 7pm. There are only a few other large izakaya-style establishments in San Francisco, which are open until late at night, so this place is accommodating the needs for a wide variety of people from young to businessmen.

ワオ！と言っているユーザー

During the last half of the nineties in San Francisco, people were enjoying the economic growth, and traditional washoku such as high-end sushi, kappo, and kaiseki-style Japanese cuisine was beginning to gain attention. Corporate businessmen were the main target demographic, and "Kiku of Tokyo" in the Hilton Hotel, and "Kyoya" in the Palace Hotel in downtown where the convention center is located, were enjoying their popularity as the typical restaurants of that type. In the year 2000, the washoku boom entered into the fusion phase, and after 2010, the "Sushi Kaiseki" and "Omakase" era began. Now, such high-end washoku culture has settled in, and non-business people are also acquainted with the culture. Such achievements made by legendary chefs who triggered the washoku boom, are still thriving in San Francisco's restaurant industry, decades later.

In 2008, after "Kiku of Tokyo" closed, Chef Gomi opened the freestanding "Kappou Gomi" in the Richmond District, and entertained us with authentic Japanese cuisine at a reasonable price. Unlike the restaurants in the downtown hotels, there was no feel of a high-end place, private tatami rooms, etc., but Mr. Gomi seized the hearts of business people who used to know him, and of local American regular customers as well. However, finally, in October of last year, the long-lived washoku legendary restaurant in San Francisco came to an end. While everybody was reminiscing and missing the legend, Mr. Son Minh, Mr. Gomi's former favorite disciple during his "Kiku of Tokyo" days, opened "Akira", the only restaurant where his master's teachings have been inherited, and it became a popular topic of conversation.

The owner/chef, Minh was born in Vietnam. The co-owner and wife, Ms. Judy Young, was born in Laos, and came to the US as a refugee in the seventies. They met through a refugees' circle activity, and later got married. They both overcame discriminations and hardships in life. Since graduating from college, Judy has been working as a counselor for poor people and immigrants. On the other hand, Son met his master, Gomi at a washoku restaurant, "Kiku of Tokyo" where he worked as a temp while going to school. Son was working diligently, and got noticed by Chef Gomi, who told him, "If you like to cook, I can teach you how to cook washoku, starting from the basics." After the training was done, he worked as a sous-chef for a while.

After that, he worked at "Hanazen", and "Kiji" as head chef. The mater/disciple relationship between him and Mr. Gomi continued over the next 20 years, and still ongoing even now.

The name "Akira" was also given by the master. The name represents a positive and progressive approach. "Akira", which has been open for one year, is located in a residential area slightly away from Japan Town. "Akira" meets neither conditions for what a successful washoku restaurant should have, a "good location" and a "Japanese chef", but it has gotten off to a good start as if overturning such cliché. The first reason is its price setting.

Minh's transpicuous personality and diligence that shows in his words: "I would like my restaurant to be the kind of place for everyone to be able to have a reasonable meal", seem to be reflected upon how he runs the restaurant. The second reason is its menu structure. It is unbelievable for a restaurant with a mere 38 seats to have such a rich variety of items. Its line-up of popular items from the eighties such as traditional style sunomono, karaage, donburi, tempura, noodles, sashimi etc. can accommodate any customer. The third reason is the service. Every staff member is friendly, and although they are not Japanese, they have the right knowledge, and the omotenashi spirit is embedded into theirs.

While increasing the number of his original menu items, Mr. Minh always maintains traditional items as well. For example, they offer items like Shokado Bento ($17, lunch only), Chawan-mushi ($10), and Matsutake Dobin-mushi, which you don't see anywhere else. He makes dashi delicately as he has been engaging in Japanese cuisine for a long time.The fluffily strained chawan-mushi, dobinmushi with fully extracted shiitake mushrooms' flavor and umami, etc. satisfy the customers who remember "Kiku". The Shokado-Bento is one of their popular joyful lunch choices. It contains plenty of fresh sashimi, and the price is reasonable, and has become a very popular item for the Japanese people who live in a nearby residence community for Japanese Americans. At dinner time, an omakase course ($65) is offered in addition to the a-la-carte dishes. It is a kappou-style washoku course with 7 items including a small bowl of appetizer, sashimi, and fruits.

Lately, in the Bay Area of San Francisco, older Japanese owners/chefs are retiring one after another, closing the restaurants, and the generation is transitioning to non-Japanese chefs. In such a time, I can say that Mr. Minh one of the lucky ones who were able to inherit traditional Japanese cuisine techniques from a craftsman chef. I can see that a new era of washoku culture is beginning to rise at the same time while the good-old days are carried over.

ワオ！と言っているユーザー

A new ramen phenomenon is happening again in San Francisco’s Japan Town, a highly-competitive district for ramen restaurants. Over the last few years, the popularity of “tonkotsu style ramen” has grown even bigger due to the appearance of “Mensho Tokyo,” “Ippudo”, etc. Moreover, a Hakata style ramen specialty restaurant which nobody else had the title for, called “Marufuku” opened there in February of 2017. Hakata style ramen is new to Americans, and it is attracting a lot of attention. Ever since the opening day, people have been forming a long line to taste their soulful bowls of ramen. What is the difference between
“tonkotsu style” and “Hakata style”? There was a record showing that tonkotsu style ramen was born in “Hakata” Fukuoka, the place of origin, in 1941.

It is said that the tonkotsu style ramen began as follows: some noodles were used to be served as the last ingredient of the “Hakata nabe” a chicken stock based hot pot dish. Then, tonkotsu (pork bone based stock) was added to the soup, and Chinese noodles were thrown in the soup to be combined, and form the “tonkotsu ramen.”

Back then, there were no buildings in the Hakata district like now, and ramen which was served at the street carts by the river is the origin of “Hakata ramen.” The soup served then was mostly murky-white and rich, but light tasting tonkotsu-based, and the noodles were the very thin, straight kind, and topped with Hakata benishoga (red ginger shreds). After the war (1945), due to the idea that ramen was for bluecollar workers, the noodles were very thin for quick cooking, and a small amount was served at a time to retain the texture, and more noodles (kaedama) could be ordered to be added to the soup while you eat. This tradition still continues until this day. Now, in Fukuoka’s ramen restaurants, it is very common that you can select your favorite hardness of the noodles from extra hard to extra soft by adjusting the duration of cooking time. Variation of ramen styles such as “Kumamoto ramen”, “Kurume ramen”, etc., have been born in various.

Kyushu areas since, but “Hakata ramen” has been the favorite soul food for the people of Hakata through the ages. Meanwhile, the broth, which used to be so simple, the quality of the noodles, and the toppings have been perfected, but who could imagine that Hakata ramen would become a gourmet food known to the world like now? “Marufuku” which challenges itself at the reproduction of such Hakata style ramen, is a very important restaurant in the Bay Area.

“Marufuku” heavily values “teamwork” to run the restaurant. They have a purpose which is “to offer uncompromising genuine ramen to create a huge boom” in the Bay Area where cutting-edge information transmission is launched, and major IT companies such as Google and Apple have settled in. They built the foundation of the team by hiring someone who has extensive experience in working in the ramen industry, both in Japan and Los Angeles, to become the manager. The restaurant is located on the second floor of the Kinokuniya Building, which is an ideal place. After many trials and errors, the very first Hakata ramen specialty restaurant in San Francisco, “Marufuku” opened in 2017. The Hakata style, which was new to the US, was well received by the local Americans, and “Marufuku” quickly became very successful.

I recommend “HAKATA DX” ($14.99) first. Their proud soup which has been slowly cooked for 20 hours defines its Hakata style taste by the added housemade special sauce. You never get tired of its rich, deep, yet light tasting soup. The volume is perfect, and served in a classy milky-color bowl made by a Japanese craftsman, which gives a nice contrast. The extra-thin straight noodles specially ordered from a local noodle maker, are original and hard to find anywhere else. The noodles mix and match well with the soup.

The Hakata style tradition, kaedama, can be ordered for $2 each, which allows you to enjoy the noodles at their best texture until the end. Rich topping selections include large pork kakuni, flavor enhanced boiled eggs, corn, cloud ears, mushrooms, and Hakata benishoga (red ginger shreds). Other menu items include “Hakata Tonkotsu” ($10.99), “Chicken Paitan” ($10.99), “Chicken Paitan DX” ($14.99), etc. The Paitan ramen dishes are so popular, and about 30% of the customers order them. However, for the multi-cultured San Francisco, they also pay special attention to some customers who do not eat pork for religious reasons. One of the popular toppings, the juicy kakuni, can be ordered separately as an a-la-carte menu item as Kakunidon (bowl) ($7).

The drink menu includes draft beers, shochu, Japanese sake, etc. At night time, more customers drink sake, but the rotation is rather quick. However, you need to be aware that some waiting is inevitable on weekends.

“Marufuku” is striving to make a strong team by raising the motivation of the staff members who have various backgrounds and share this strong belief, that “a strong enough wish can surely be conveyed to our customers, overcoming language or nationality barriers.” I would like to see “local” food cultures spread in the way that this restaurant is doing, which offers ramen that is customized to the local area.

ワオ！と言っているユーザー

“AEDAN”’ tent shop in the Saturday Farmer’s Market held in the very popular Ferry Building in San Francisco, which sells fermented foods such as miso and koji that are not sold at any other shops, is attracting attention. “Miso” and “Koji”, which are the typical products in San Francisco’s unprecedented fermented food boom, have been adapted in menus by America’s top chefs. Lately, you even see the word “Koji” in some restaurant menus. Like setting fire on such a boom, Aedan Fermented Foods, a manufacturer of all hand-made miso and koji-- indispensable ingredients from ancient Japan-- is creating a movement.

The founder, Mariko Gledy, launched this business initially to donate the profit from the sales of hand-made miso to her friends to 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake victims, thinking what she could do to help from the US. “Before that time, I was making miso for my own family. I got an idea of selling it to my friends so I can donate the money from the sales,” says Mariko. She started to make miso at home to inherit a Japanese tradition to her children. “I felt the great power of miso once again when I learned that you can basically survive for a few days with only miso and water.” As she was studying further on miso and koji for the future business opportunity, she felt a strong hope for conveying this wisdom of Japan to as many people as possible, especially to American children who are responsible for the next generation. This hope of her is reflected on the company name, Aedan (wisdom transmission), and has also become the The founder, Mariko Gledy, launched this business initially to donate the profit from the sales of hand-made miso to her friends for the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake victims, thinking of what she could do to help from the US. “Before that time, I was making miso for my own family. I got the idea of selling it to my friends so I can donate the money from the sales,” says Mariko. She started to make miso at home to pass on a Japanese tradition to her children. “I felt the great power of miso once again when I learned that you can basically survive for a few days with only miso and water.” As she was studying further about miso and koji for the future business opportunity, she felt a strong hope for conveying this wisdom of Japan to as many people as possible, especially to American children who are responsible for the next generation. This hope of hers is reflected on the company name, Aedan (wisdom transmission), and has also become the company mission as well.

In the following year, 2012, the company started a full-fledged sales activity by joining an incubation kitchen, “La Cocina”, which supports female and minorities to start businesses. From then on, the variety of merchandise production and the business structure continued to expand by receiving business advice and support from La Concina. The company steadily gained more recognition through catering of cuisines using house-made fermented condiments, and workshops, lectures, etc.

In 2016, she founded an LLC, and in the same year, the company acquired a regular presence in the Saturday Ferry Building Farmer’s Market, which every small business owner in the food industry dreams of. In the tent of the Farmer’s Market, miso soup, amazake ($3 each), and Hakkoh Bento (Fermented lunch box, $15) using miso and koji, etc. are sold in order to let people who do not yet know about miso learn about its attractive benefits. Aedan manufactures and sells 4 kinds of miso, shiokoji, amazake-based marinade called Sagohachi, and amazake, all made with organic soy beans and/or rice ($10 each). They also sell chickpea miso made uniquely with chickpeas instead of soy beans. Their locally-made miso goes through no fermentation-stopping process such as heating, and thus the koji enzyme stays alive, and helps create a deeper taste as it ages. The amazake completed by the Vitamix machine is so smooth, creamy and rich, and gaining popularity for its uniquely profound taste. Not only do they sell, but they also carry out to let people know the delicious ways to eat miso and koji. The Shiokoji kit ($20) that contains mixed raw koji and salt, is popular among travelers because it is easy to carry around under natural temperatures.

Japanese cuisine has well settled into the local scenes lately, and more and more Americans even know what koji or shiokoji are, not to mention what miso is. Helped by such a background, wholesale orders are increasing from long-established San Franciscan grocers such as Rainbow Grocery and Bi-Rite Market, and also from restaurants. The catering menu that includes omelet cooked with amazake, tofu dengaku marinated in shiokoji, koji pickles, etc. is well received, and orders have also increased year after year for its simple yet deep tasting selection of items. Their Washoku Lunch menu which is gentle to your body, is also becoming an important part even for many Americans.

Mariko continues, “My goal is to have everybody make miso at home. Different miso for each family!” In order to achieve this goal of miso making and eating at every household, she is diligently putting efforts in miso making workshops and classes called “Terakoya Aedan”. She is expanding such activities to teach American citizens Japanese traditional food cultures by also having lectures at some museums and health-conscious specialty stores.

The number of fans of Aedan Fermented Foods has grown in the past 6 years due to its diligent efforts in conveying the good benefits of miso and koji. Now Mariko is planning to take a new step. At this point, there is no store fixture, but she is hoping to open a “Miso Café”, which would be a store with a café space.

There, she wants not only to sell miso and koji and serve miso soup and dishes, but also to have a space for miso-making workshops and cooking classes. Such days when you can enjoy body-friendly foods at a San Francisco’s very first fermented foods specialty café may come soon.

ワオ！と言っているユーザー

New Japanese cuisine projects have been more and more diversified each year, and the trend of the sushi business of the last few years has been high-end omakase style. However, in the Polk Street area where the rent is relatively cheap, there are many restaurants and bars with unique concepts run by young owners and entrepreneurs, which can be enjoyed casually thanks to the reasonably pricing. In this highly hopeful-prospect area, “Kuma Sushi and Sake” recently opened by a collaboration of a Japanese chef and an American chef. They declare “De-omakase style”, which is a rapidly increasing trend, and aim for creating a locally-loved casual dining place. In only 2 months from the opening, they already have earned regular customers.

The co-owners/chefs, Ryo Sakai and Cory Jackson, hit it off with each other while being trained under the same chef, and have worked together in a few other local area restaurants such as “Blow Fish”. After that, the experience in a project they planned together, a popup called “Pink Zebra” made a huge impact on deciding to open this restaurant. Ryo has been living in the Bay Area since his parents moved there from Japan when he was 4 years old. While he was working part-time in a Japanese restaurant during his school years, he was promoted to the kitchen staff, and it opened his eyes to the joy of making sushi. On the other hand, Cory was influenced by his father who loved to cook, and hoped to become a chef at a young age. He was trained in a local Japanese restaurant, and then moved to the Bay Area. He continued his training there in the kitchens of Aqua and Zuni Café.

Once stepped into the restaurant, a natural and modern space opens up, and gray walls and white wood interior under a high ceiling especially attract your attention. Behind the sushi counter on the right are various bottles of famous brand sakes. The interior artwork, murals by a local artist, and the logo by a friend, etc., show their concept of connecting to the local community and crafsmanship. Their “Getas (sushi plate/stand) are hand-made using California wine barrels, with which Ryo fell in love with, and specially custom-ordered them. The Geta’s adequately curved shape and naturally stained color gives a special feeling.

Their particularity about the menu is to offer the freshest, seasonal fish at reasonable prices. In San Francisco, where many sushi restaurants already exist and new restaurants keep opening, it is not easy to survive without being distinctively different from others. In order to be different, they came up with the idea of limiting the numbers of menu items and tables, but increasing the local repeat customers. In order to achieve that, many ingenious ideas are used in choosing the distributors, menu items, and even the operation system. For the fish, multiple distributors are used, depending on whether the fish is local or from Japan. For the drinks, whether sake or wine, each category is narrowed down to only 1 or 2 brands. There are no small bottles of sake, and sake is served by a carafe or by a glass poured from big bottles. It is cost-effective not to carry small bottles which take up a lot of storage space. The reason for carrying both sake and wine is for better paring with different sushi. They recommend “Tojikan” made of 100% Yamada-nishiki. The “Sake Flight” with 3 kinds of sake ($14) is also popular. They plan to change the brands periodically. In order to make good rotations by eliminating empty tables, they do not take reservations. You have to wait at the waiting bar area until your table becomes available while drinking and snacking.

Besides the main a-la-carte dishes, there are popular items such as the chef’s special which is the “5 kinds of sashimi plate” ($32), “4-piece nigiri sushi” ($16), and “8-piece nigiri sushi” ($32). The average cost per person with a drink is about $60, which is pretty reasonable. Daily special sushi/sashimi menu items include traditional Edo-mae style sushi ingredients such as tai (Japanese sea bream) with konbu seaweed, marinated tuna, ocean eel, etc. They use red tuna, not fatty tuna, and use its center for sashimi or sushi, and flavorful outside for marinades.

In order to please people who are not familiar with raw fish, they have many original sushi rolls. The most popular roll is the “Hey Girl” ($14), which has tempura shrimp inside, and is topped with tuna and avocado. The secret of its popularity is to show the live shrimp to the customer right before tempura-frying it. They also offer items like vegetable sushi for vegetarians, to accommodate many customers of different preferences.

Both Ryo and Cory disclose that in the future, they would like to see the restaurant become a friendly neighborhood place which cherishes not only their customers, but also other nearby restaurants and businesses. I would like to continue to keep an eye on the future activities of this restaurant which should turn out to be a sustainable business model that raises community values.

ワオ！と言っているユーザー

The ramen boom of San Francisco sees no end in sight, and continues to enchant local ramen fans. During the past 10-year history of this SF ramen boom, those who took the lead of the first-phase must have been “Izakaya Sozai”, “Katanaya-Ramen”, etc. Among them, the signature dish of “Sozai”, the tonkotsu ramen, was voted as “the meal that you wish to have at least once before you die”, which drove ramen fans to rush in night after night. The truth was that this menu item was something the owner created in his spare time just for fun, but ended up as an item on the menu to finish a meal with. After that, the word “tonkotsu” spread quickly.

In the meantime, in Silicon Valley, “Orenchi” that opened 7 years ago in Santa Clara, had a major impact on the ramen boom by being so popular that people waited as long as 2 hours to get in. Since the “Orenchi” brand had pretty much been established, the second restaurant, stylish, and named “Orenchi Beyond” opened in 2015 in San Francisco, and is attracting a younger generation of people in San Francisco. Some of the restaurants which gathered a lot of attention for their openings in 2016 are “Nojo Ramen Tavern”, the first overseas development of AP Company known for “Tsukada Nojo”, specializing in jidori chicken cooking, “Iza Ramen”, the ramen department of a local popular sushi restaurant called “Blowfish”, and “Mensho Tokyo”, also the first overseas development from Tokyo which is currently breaking through. In Japan Town where the competition is very high, “Waraku” and “Yamadaya” started in LA, and Suzu” used to be the top 3; however, popularity is transitioning to newer restaurants like “Marufuku Ramen” that opened this year, and “Hinodeya Ramen”, also a new overseas development from Japan launched at the end of last year. “Marufuku Ramen” is especially popular; so much so that people form a long line every day. The restaurant that is attracting attention the most among the newly opened ones is “Ippudo”, the Hakata style ramen sanctuary, which is known worldwide, and finally opened in Berkley after a long preparation period.

As a new trend, there is an increase in the number of izakaya-style ramen restaurants which have developed from ramen specialty restaurants by adding a-la-carte dishes and various drinks on the menu. You could spend as much as 40 to 50 dollars per person in such a restaurant. Americans are getting more particular about tastes, and trends are moving toward “local gourmet foods” that offer traditional regional tastes. San Francisco’s ramen business industry is getting more diversified, and competition on a higher level continues to grow.

J-POP Ramen Summit
The “J-POP Summit”, the US’s largest festival of Japanese pop culture, was held on September 9th and 10th at Fort Maison Center. This event was produced by Yoshiyuki Maruyama who triggered the Bay Area ramen culture. The “Ramen Summit” that brought together 5 ramen restaurants, 4 from SF and 1 from Seattle, was a big success, and was very busy throughout with many visitors until the end. People formed a long line in front of every booth, and truly enjoyed comparing bowls of ramen of different popular restaurants, etc., which they can experience only at a festival like this. http://www.j-pop.com/

/////// Introduction of the restaurants ///////

1. Nojo Ramen Tavern
Their signature dish is gorgeous Chicken Paitan ($18.50 at the restaurant), in which a whole chicken leg is in the bowl. The rich thick broth accentuated with ginger and yuzu is profoundly tasty and volumerous. Medium thick curly noodles made of whole wheat flour are custom-made. http://nojosf.com/

2. YOROSHIKU
It is a popular restaurant in Seattle, and the first time exhibitor of the Ramen Summit. Thier signature dish, made by the owner/chef from Hokkaido, is Spicy Miso ($14 at the restaurant). The broth is an excellent combination of white and red miso with added spicy chilli, and is very well received among Americans.https://www.yoroshikuseattle.com/

3. Orenchi Beyond
Their signature dish is “Beyond Ramen” ($13.50). Its rich tonkotsu shoyu base with added fish stock and garlic is full of originality, and rich in taste and creates a good balance with medium-thick bouncy curly noodles. As new additions to the menu, they have miso-tamatoe base vegan ramen, tantanmen, etc.http://orenchi-beyond.com/

4. Marufuku Ramen
Traditional Hakata-style tonkotsu base broth cooked for 20 hours is a good match to its custom-made flavorful straight thin noodles. Their signature dish is Hakata Tonkotsu ($10.99). This restaurant is breaking through by offering the right richness, adjustable spiciness, various topping choices and a rich-variery of a-la-carte dishes.https://www.marufukuramen.com/

5. Hinodeya Ramen & Bar
This restaurant came to the US for the first time to try to introduce authentic dashi culture. Its delicate flavorful dashi of bonito and konbu coats the medium-thick curly noodles well, and bring out the good taste. Its sophisticated, light-flavored dashi ramen and kappo-style a-la-carte dishes are differentiated from other restaurants, and has established a good reputation.
------------------------------

ワオ！と言っているユーザー

In the Mission District where many restaurants loved by gourmet eaters gather, an authentic omakase-style Edomae sushi restaurant, “Sasaki”, to which many such foodies give attention, opened toward the end of last year. This restaurant that is located on Harrison Street, just off the center of the District, is a compilation of the achievements of Masaki Sasaki, an experienced sushi chef who has helped Japanese restaurants in San Francisco gain a Michelin star or a Bib Gourmand status. There is no obvious sign board in front of the
restaurant, but only a small sign near the door. However, once you open the door, a sophisticated-looking space that resembles a high-end sushi restaurant in Ginza opens up.

Mr. Sasaki has been building his career as a sushi chef for nearly 40 years in the US. After working in notable restaurants in New York, the Bay Area, etc., he opened the sushi restaurant, Maruya, in the Mission District in 2013 with a partner, and gained Michelin star status. Only a year later, he left Maruya to pursue his own ideal sushi making style, and got involved in the launching of some popular restaurants in the news such as “Omakase” and “Delage”, as a sushi consultant. This is the first restaurant owned and managed by Mr. Sasaki, where you can taste authentic non-Americanized Edomae-style sushi.

They serve only one course menu at $180. The course consists of 3 parts starting with 3 or 4 kinds of small appetizers followed by 14 pieces of Nigiri-sushi, Akadashi miso soup, and dessert. Mr. Sasaki says that he does not serve assorted sashimi, meat dishes or roll sushi. In the course which is full of his particularity, a bite-size appetizer in a ceramic bowl is served first, and then Nigiri-sushi of seasoned tuna (which is the base of the Edomae-style sushi) is served. Red-meat tuna’s umami is enhanced when marinated, and its texture is viscous and rich. For the sushi rice to match such flavor, red vinegar made with aged sake leek is used. Red vinegar that has mellower umami compared to rice vinegar is typically used for Edomae-sushi. No sugar is contained. He says that the most important thing in sushi making is not fish, but rice. It is unusual in the US that different sushi vinegar is used depending on the menu. For the middle part of the course, regular rice vinegar is used for the sushi rice for
delicate flavored whitemeat fish and shell fish toppings, and red vinegar rice is used for more fatty or silverskinned fish toppings. After the seasoned tuna, a few appetizers including steamed abalone and cooked octopus are served, and then the course moves to the main nigiri part. Generally, many restaurants tend to serve light-tasting dishes such as white-meat fish before serving more fatty and rich ingredients, but this restaurant starts with 4 pieces of rich, heavy tasting neta (fish toppings) sushi such as fatty tuna and splendid alfonsino on red-vinegared rice. Then, after the miso soup, 4 pieces of light-tasting sushi such as shell fish and vinegar-marinated red snapper are served followed by extra fatty tuna, anago, Japanese shad, and a hand-roll. To finish the course, 2 egg dishes, Japanese style thick omelet and grated shrimp omelet cake are served for you to enjoy until the very end of the course.

The characteristic of Edomaestyle sushi is its concentrated umami and taste of seafood which are created by carefully combined work of Kombu seaweed, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, etc. It is the technique developed by the wit of regular residents in Edo to cook locallycaught fish in the Tokyo Bay in the best way possible. The fish directly airtransported from Tsukiji are treated in the best way to concentrate its umami and to be preserved, and served in the most delicious state. Only 2 chefs, Sasaki and another kitchen chef, do all these preparations. It is understandable that the number of reservations are limited to 6 per day (18 on weekend with 3 rotation), dinner only. All the reservations are set at the same time, and everything starts at once when all the people have arrived. The rather low cypress wood counter designed specifically to make it easy to communicate with the customers does not have the usual refrigerated case. The ingredients are transported in a white wooden case from the kitchen in the back right at each change of the part of the course. The chef Sasaki explain each piece of
sushi they serve, and move the course smoothly in perfect harmony.

Sasaki’s aesthetic value is also reflected on the plates and bowls, and interior decorations. The plates and bowls are made by Mr. Yamanaka, Sasaki’s acquainted Buddhist temple priest in Odawara. Mr. Yamanaka’s creations are used at some San Franciscan Michelin-starred restaurants including Saison, Benu, and Manresa. Blackcolor plates are used for sushi so they stand out on the light-colored wooden counter. Besides carefully selected Japanese sake, champagne and wine that go with sushi are also offered. The $180 per course is not cheap, but the customers seem to understand the added values to the food, conversation with the artisan chef, performance, and ambience. I asked Mr. Sasaki about his future prospects. He wants to open a place like a hotel that serves specialty Japanese dishes. The legend of Edomae-style Sushi by an experienced artisan, Sasaki, who has been involved
in the history of food trend in the Bay Area for a long time has just begun.